The Viewpoint of Presence.

This essay is intended to entice the reluctant reader with the beneficial aspects of seeing in the moment.

Many times, I lives in a purpose driven world. I wake up and I see the brush as a device to detangle my hair. I may notice characteristics about the brush, such as that it is black, or full of lint. These things are “facts”, attributes to and associations with the brush. Maybe I take a note of the brush's position in relation to other things, or the stark contrast of the brush on the table. This the “image”, or mental picture of the brush.

Other times, I live in a presence-driven world. This is when I wake up and I see the brush as a specific and unique configuration of energy at that moment. Those are the rare moments that I see that brush as if discovering it for the first time, I recognize that it is here, inhabiting the same world as me. Truthfully, this sort of connection happens almost never with a brush, seldom with a rose, yet with notable frequency with human beings and other animals. As complexity increases, the recognition of intelligent awareness is striking to the point of envelopment.

Besides, the being seems to say in a tantalizing tone, here we are.

At first glance sitting with oneself appears be a worship of the ego. Yet the practice is intended to make one more aware of beings surrounding oneself, more aware of the needs and feelings of others. More aware of connection and similarity, of value and marvel.

When I move through my practice, it is with the intent of journeying to this way of experiencing the world.

The benefits of living in presence include, but are not limited to, a sense of unprecedented wonder and awe.

This is not intended to suggest that this way of seeing is the only, or the best, interesting and majestic ways of viewing. There is, for example, the lens of history, which gives a background story to the existence of things in one's environment. Or resourcefulness or opportunism, which sees everything as a potential source of benefit. Even the lens of nostalgia, used sparingly. I do believe that the lens of presence is a foundational component of a well-balanced and awe-ful life ; )