being present

The practice of “being present” contains an illusion, a trap. Being present is often considered a practice of shifting attention away from thought and onto the present moment. In other words attention lands on some other appearance or sensation happening in this moment. This practice inevitably contains a belief of a separate self. “I” am shifting attention away from thought, “I” am being present. So thought is actually at the core of this practice, believing it is a person who is being present. This is the irony about being present and not believing thought. A very sneaky layer of thought is required in order to be present and not believe in thoughts. In other words, there is a belief that thought is not who I am and a belief that presence is better than thinking. Such a matrix of thought is involved with the practice of being present! First there is a belief that there is someone either being present or being lost in thought, whereas attention is actually free to move or land but never owned by an individual person. Second there is a belief that thought is inferior to some other sensation, perhaps because some other sensation (like the breath) is believed to be closer to home. There is also a belief that being present will facilitate a spiritual awakening in the future. There are all sorts of beliefs about what being present actually is. Shifting attention away from thought may seem to brake a level of identification with thought, but let this be simply a stepping stone. Do not stop with with this practice because it too is driven by thought, identification, and the illusion of time. Who you are is not limited to thought, but also definitely not limited to “someone” being present.