THE VALUE OF NOW

 

                                                              NOW.....

                 I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT TRUE ENLIGHTENMENT IS NOT POSSIBLE EXCEPT THROUGH LOVE IN A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN. ISN'T THIS WHAT MAKES US WHOLE AGAIN? HOW CAN ONE'S LIFE BE FULFILLED UNTIL THAT HAPPENS?

               IS THAT TRUE IN YOUR EXPERIENCE? HAS THIS HAPPENED TO YOU?

              NOT YET, BUT HOW COULD IT BE OTHERWISE? I KNOW THAT IT WILL HAPPEN.

            IN OTHER WORDS, YOU ARE WAITING FOR AN EVENT IN TIME TO SAVE YOU. IS THIS NOT THE CORE ERROR THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT? SALVATION IS NOT ELSEWHERE IN PLACE OR TIME. IT IS HERE AND NOW.

           WHAT DOES THAT STATEMENT MEAN, SALVATION IS HERE AND NOW? I DON'T UNERSTAND IT. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SALVATION MEANS.

         MOST PEOPLE PURSUE PHYSICAL PLEASURE OR VARIOUS FORMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL GRATIFICATION BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THAT THOSE THINGS WILL MAKE THEM HAPPY O FREE THEM FROM A FEELING OF FEAR OR LACK. HAPPINESS MAY BE PERCEIVED AS A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF ALIVENESS ATTAINED THROUGH PHYSICAL PLEASURE, OR A MORE SECURE AND MORE COMPLETE SENSE OF SELF ATTAINED THROUGH SOME FORM OF PSYCHOLOGICAL GRATIFICATION. THIS IS THE SEARCH FOR SALVATION FROM A STATE OF SATISFACTORINESS OR INSUFFICIENCY. INVARIABLY, ANY SATISFACTION THAT THEY OBTAIN IS SHORT- LIVED, SO THE CONDITION OF SATISFACTION OR FULFILLMENT IS USUALLY PROJECTED ONCE AGAIN INTO AN IMAGINARY POINT AWAY FROM THE HERE AND NOW. WHEN I OBTAIN THIS OR AM FREE OF THAT- THEN I WILL BE OKEY. THIS IS THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND-SET THAT CREATES THE ILLUSION OF SALVATION IN THE FUTURE.

              TRUE SALVATION IS FULFILLMENT , PEACE, LIFE IN ALL ITS FULLNESS. IT IS TO BE WHO YOU ARE, TO FEEL WHITHIN YOU THE GOOD THAT HAS NO OPPOSITE, THE JOY OF BEING THAT DEPENDS ON NOTHING OUTSIDE ITSELF. IT IS FELT NOT AS A PASSING EXPERIENCE BUT AS AN ABIDING PRESENCE. IN THEISTIC LANGUAGE, IT I TO KNOW GOD NOT AS SOMETHING OUTSIDE YOU BUT AS YOUR OWN INNERMOST ESSENCE. TRUE SALVATION IS TO KNOW YOURSELF AS AN INSEPARABLE PART OF THE TIMELESS AND FORMLESS ONE LIFE FROM WHICH ALL THAT EXISTS DERIVES ITS BEING.

            TRUE SALVATION IS A STATE OF FEEDOM- FROM FEAR, FROM SUFFERING FROM A PERCEIVED STATE OF LACK AND INSUFFICIENCY AND THEREFORE FROM ALL WANTING, NEEDING, GRASPING, AND CLINGING. IT IS FREEDOM FROM COMPULSIVE THINKING, FROM NEGATIVITY, AND ABOVE ALL FROM PAST AND FUTURE AS A PSYCHOLOGICAL NEED. YOUR MIND IS TELLING YOU THAT YOU CANNOT GET THERE FROM HERE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAPPEN, OR YOU NEED TO BECOME THIS OR THAT BEFORE YOU CAN BE  OR COMPLETE, YOU SEE TIME AS THE MEANS TO SALVATION, WHEREAS IN TRUTH IT IS THE GREATEST OBSTACLES TO SALVATION. YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN'T GET THERE FROM WHERE AND WHO YOU ARE AT THIS MOMENT BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT YET COMPLETE OR GOOD ENOUGH, BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT HERE AND NOW IS THE ONLY POINT FROM WHERE YOU CAN GET THERE. YOU "GET" THERE BY REALIZING THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO SEEK GOD. SO THERE IS NO ONLY WAY TO SALVATION. ANY CONDITION AWAY FROM THIS MOMENT. YOU ARE LONELY AND WIHTOUT A PARTNER? ENTER THE NOW FROM THERE. YOU ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP? ENTER THE NOW FROM THERE.

                     THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN EVER DO OR ATTIN THAT WILL GET YOU CLOSER TO SALVATION THAN IT IS AT THIS MOMENT. THIS MAY BE HARD TO GRASP FOR A MIND ACCUSTOMED TO THINKING THAT EVERYTHIN WORTHWHILE IS IN THE FUTURE. NOR CAN ANYTHING THAT YOU EVER DID OR THAT WAS DONE TO YOU IN THE PAST PREVENT YOU FROM SAYING YET TO WHAT IS AND TAKING YOUR ATTENTION DEEPLY INTO THE NOW. YOU CANNOT DO THIS IN THE FUTURE. YOU DO IT NOW OR NOT AT ALL.