Burrowing Owl. Photo credit: Stephen R. Jones
I hope this finds you happy and healthy and filled with the energy and beauty of high summer. I hope it finds you holding the great paradoxes we are immersed in—seeing not just the darkness and not just the light, but all of it as you stand in truth with an open heart and mind.
So what is the key to holding paradox and navigating life in the best way possible? Can such a question really be distilled down to one thing, a single key? I think it can, and the answer that rings true for me is presence—being in the moment with a quiet, open mind; a state of being that takes us beyond all concepts, all ideas of right and wrong, all thought, and connects us to the whole, to life energy, to the source.
Presence is where mindfulness practices lead. More devotional paths lead here too. Many rivers, one source.
Presence is the sturdy foundation upon which we can build a healthy, peaceful society. It’s synonymous with maturity—being on a path of discovering, uncovering, our essence as human beings.
To be honest, I wouldn’t venture to talk and write about presence at all—it’s hard to put into words and is easily judged and misunderstood—but for the unavoidable fact that a truly transformational, restorative approach to activism and social change isn’t possible without it.
Think about the basic “problem.” The belief in separateness is a delusion, it’s ignorance plain and simple. Ignorance doesn’t mean being stupid and uncaring, it means not being in alignment with the truth. And what is the remedy for not being in alignment with the truth?
Presence allows us to bear witness to pain and suffering—to see it and feel it and allow it to soften our hearts. It connects us to the life energy underneath the anger and grief, underneath all thoughts and emotions. We experience directly the truth of no separation, of interbeing, and moving from that place we engage as true forces of nature, and as such, as forces of love.
Just this morning, if I hadn’t been of a quiet mind and tuned into the steps I was taking on the path I would not have noticed the baby toads hopping across the trail. If I hadn’t stopped to enjoy the water moving in the ditch I would not have seen the swallow sitting on a branch over the water. If I hadn’t been present I would not have noticed the glorious beauty of the sky and clouds. I would not have dropped into deep gratitude. This is coming back to life! This is the great healing!
Even knowing all this, even having tasted this sweetness, notice how easy it is to get overtaken by thoughts and habitual behaviors. When contemplating the state of the world, notice the longing for the quick fix. Notice the instinctive lashing out, the tendency to judge and blame. Notice it all and come back to presence. Notice how you move in presence. Feel the aliveness!
It seems to me that this really is our most basic and important choice: To stay present or not in any given moment. To be on a path of freedom or not.
Presence is what the evolution of consciousness looks and feels like. Even in these times of unravelling, especially in these times of insanity, this is the greatest gift we can give to the world. It is not self indulgent for three main reasons. First, because it’s not a personal thing, it takes us beyond the personal. Second, because there is no separation—our so-called “inner work” is not separate from the “outer.” Third, it is the foundation for healing, restorative action.
Presence is more vital than hope. With presence, we don’t need a pep talk every day to get us through. We live in the trust and the flow of life.
Presence is the yeast that allows our political action to rise to the occasion. We will do well to remember that what we resist persists unless we come at it grounded in transformational energy, grounded in the truth of interbeing. Presence allows us to align with that truth.
Holding paradox, addressing the root cause of personal suffering and the collective crisis, non-attachment to outcome, tremendous gratitude—presence and the clear seeing it brings makes all this and more possible! And it’s as simple as making the choice!
Be Well,
Scott