ChapterFive

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You keep talking about the state of presence as the key. I
thinkIunderstanditintellectually,but Idon'tknowifI have
ever trulyexperiencedit. Iwonder—isitwhat Ithinkitis,
orisitsomethingentirelydifferent?

It’snotwhatyouthinkit is! Youcan'tthinkabout presence,
and the mindcan't understandit. Understanding presence is
beingpresent.
Try a little experiment. Close your eyes and say to
yourself: "I wonder what my next thought is going to be."
Then become very alert and wait for the next thought. Be
like acat watching amouse hole. What thought is goingto
comeoutofthemousehole?Tryitnow.

§

Well?

Ihadtowaitforquitealongtimebeforeathoughtcamein.

Exactly. As long as you are in a state of intense presence,
you are free of thought. You are still, yet highly alert. The