Awareness here now- is a simple experience of being, that we all intimately know. We are perpetually chasing our experience as it flows continuously- emerging from an uncertain future, momentarily hovering over a point called ‘present’, to crystallize into a concrete past. During this leap from future to past, the experience fleetingly meets our attention- this always happens here and now.

Our physical existence in space-time defines ‘here’ and ‘now’, for us. But regardless of where the body is, our attention can freely roam around into the mental realm. Our minds are often occupied by random concepts or dream-like vague projections, about immediate or distant space and time.

Rambling among thoughts and images borrowed from memory or imagination- our attention frequently seems to wander off, away from ‘here now’.

There are two components of any experience- the objects of our perception in the present moment, and the subject receiving that perception- our conscious alert presence. This is the awareness, without which, we cannot make sense of anything that happens to us.

We frequently focus on the objects arising in our perception, but are not always conscious of our own awareness, which is the essential component of any experience. This clear awareness is a form of knowing- quite distinct, from anything that it can know.

Awareness of a thought, is not itself a thought.

The arriving perceptions constantly change- thoughts, emotions, memories, sensations- arising and disappearing in a continuous flow. But the receiving awareness remains steady, never lost, never fading, never compromised by anything it perceives.

The simple, relaxed, open, receptive awareness, just notices how things are- without any analysis, judgement, or criticism- directly receiving and allowing each perception to remain as it is! From the present moment of here now, the awareness steadily observes, the whole current of our flowing lives.

This awareness intimately knows everything we experience. It offers the space, which receives any arising perception- without which, an experience cannot take place. Any perception of the current moment is non-existent for us- until it is held within awareness.

What imparts a special status to the current moment of ‘now’, is this awareness, our alert receptive presence, which is always and only in the now! There is no way for us to be aware in the past or future, or anywhere other than where we are right now.

Our ‘here now’ is wherever and whenever anything is perceived by us, received in awareness! 

Whether this perception is a memory of the past being recalled, or an imagination about future- it always meets our attention in the current moment of now. Whatever may be the contents of our mind- the awareness, never leaves now.

Any thought or image floating through our awareness, is always ‘now’. We witness it, animate it- through our noticing attention, always and only now. Dreaming, remembering, imagining, thinking-  anything that can possibly cross our awareness, always does that now.

We have often been advised, to be aware and remain present in the ‘here now’.

But we have no choice about it! We cannot possibly be anywhere else, except here, now! We are the awareness, which by default is always here, always now. Neither our bodies, nor awareness, can possibly ever leave the ‘here now’.

Why do we need a reminder to be present ‘here now’?

Remaining in the ‘here now’, means that we remain aware, attentive and alert to whatever is happening right now, in our immediate surroundings, whether external to, or within our body-mind.

Paying attention to ‘here now’, simply means recognizing that we are available as a presence, to receive whatever is happening in the present moment. It means consciously being aware of the experience, staying with it- which is what Buddhists refer to as mindfulness.

Our attention needs to meet a perception, for it to register as a conscious experience. When we do not attend to a perception, with our alert aware presence, we do not consciously notice it. Often, our attention is diverted towards something other than what is happening in front of us, as we continue to chase a train of thoughts or images in the mind, out of habit.

We are physically present but mentally distracted, because our attention has abandoned the state of wide open awareness and narrowed itself down, to follow a subset of our experience- a thought or projection currently arising in the mind.

When we choose to direct our attention to thoughts about past or future- instead of our alert, open, welcoming presence in the immediate here and now- we narrow the focus of our attention. Due to attention missing from the open whole awareness- certain aspects of the reality of that moment, fail to be fully noticed.

That is why, when ‘lost in thoughts’, we may not listen to what someone nearby is saying to us. In this situation, our awareness is still present ‘here now’, it is just focused on thoughts from memory or imagination. We can attend to some routine actions outwardly, we may even manage to perform well from practice and memory, in this state.

But whenever we are not alert and attentive in the now, we miss processing a portion of our current experience. Not being fully present in the now, we may compromise knowing and understanding, parts of our experience.

Thoughts, ideas, imagination and memories are interesting, but mutable and not very reliable. They are vague, blurry muddled recollection of facts, often mixed with fantasy.

Stumbling along life, through a fog of withered memories or illusory fantasies, is a poor substitute of living it freshly, clearly and directly. An open alert aware presence, meets every experience directly as it happens, here and now.

Escaping into a mental fantasy- we ignore parts of the reality of our whole situation, we understand ‘what is‘ only partially! Our experience remains fragmented, incomplete, possibly resulting in a conflict with the totality of the situation. This often leads us into illusion and suffering.

Most among us, would not choose living in illusion at the cost of missing our real lives, regardless of how boring or difficult we may consider it. We instinctively recognize and prefer real over unreal, truth over illusion, fact over fiction!

When we focus on our thoughts, memories or imagination- it is the awareness, which is witnessing that experience. When we revert our attention back to our open presence- it is that same awareness, now perceiving the whole experience of whatever is happening with our body-mind.

This awareness is the essential magical ingredient, that timeless component of our complex current experience here and now-  which transforms it into something special!

The value of ‘here and now’, comes from the awareness.

We impart this value to our experience, by choosing where we direct our attention.

We can choose to experience the reality of what is, by not masking, diverting or narrowing our attention- by simply leaving it nestled with our whole inclusive awareness, naturally open and welcoming to whatever life brings.

Fully experiencing the energy of a new moment, freshly arriving in the reality of here and now, is always available to us. We simply need to turn our attention to the wide-open awareness!

Alternatively, we can choose to indulge in the memories and fantasies, knowing that they are only an illusion of thought. They are like the movies we occasionally watch for entertainment- or dreams, which may be exciting or pleasant while we are immersed in them- but in the end, we always wake up and let them go.

Everything in our experience changes, but awareness always remains same.

This awareness is who we truly are. When we focus on changing thoughts and mental projections instead of awareness, we shift our emphasis from its stable support, to the unreliable, mutable perceptions. This may be briefly necessary for a specific situation, but cannot lead to a lasting contentment.

Our awareness is the constant, stable, unchanging support of all our experience. It is always here now.

To steadily remain with this awareness, is to find calm in the raging storms of ever changing mental, emotional, physical, and worldly scenarios.

Meeting each experience completely from the alert, open, inclusive, welcoming presence of our whole awareness, by being present here now– is the most reliable way, for sustaining peace and happiness.