But all these times and places and occasions are
now and here.
God himself culminates in the present moment,
and will never be more divine in the lapse of all the
ages.
(Thoreau, Walden)
Waking Up
Taking up a formal meditation practice by making
some time for it each day doesn't mean that you
won't be able to think any more, or that you can't run
around or get things done. It means that you are
more likely to know what you are doing because you
have stopped for a while and watched, listened,
understood.
Thoreau saw this ever so clearly at Walden Pond. His
closing message: "Only that day dawns to which we
are awake." If we are to grasp the reality of our life
while we have it, we will need to wake up to our
moments. Otherwise, whole days, even a whole life,
could slip past unnoticed.
One practical way to do this is to look at other people
and ask yourself if you are really seeing them or just