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Abstract

small decision. And pay close attention to the process and what you experience. You need some degree of mindfulness to find out.OK. Pick one athlete. Any athlete of your choosing.You could spend your whole life thinking about it.Will you answer with the first name coming to your mind, someone less famous?Woods, LeBron?You can think about this forever, but notice that the moment you make the decision…is still completely mysterious. It’s not clear at all.It just arrives, outside of thinking. You don’t have any control whatsoever over it.And it couldn’t be any different.Here is one more way to think about this:How do you know you have thoughts? Because there is awareness. Awareness watching the thoughts you have. This awareness is you. Thoughts and decisions are produced by the mind and observed by awareness. Your awareness arises as them but doesn’t act on them. You can acknowledge them and let them sub

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side or be identified with them.But you don’t make them happen.2. If I’m in the present moment, then how do I plan for my future?You plan for your future now. You wash your hands now. You breathe now. But you don’t live in the future now.This mistake comes from confusing lived experience with calendar time. In lived experience only the now exists. Every other time is an illusion. Even the present sandwiched between the past and future is not the now. Now only exists as a lived experience.Calendar time does exist. You can plan for the future, of course. But it happens now.Living in the present moment would include not planning for the future or learning from the past.I don’t recommend you do that.Live in the now. Plan and reflect. Do whatever is asked of you now. There is no wrong way to do this.I hopethis clarifies one or two aspects of meditation for you.</article></body>

Two Deep Questions About The Nature Of Now

I’ve recently stumbled upon two interesting questions about the nature of the now and what it entails

If I’m not my thoughts, then how do I make decisions?

2. If I’m in the present moment, then how do I plan for my future?

Here are myanswers:

1. If I’m not my thoughts, then how do I make decisions?

You are not your thoughts and you can still make decisions.

It’s not mysterious because you have done so all your life.

Do a little experiment:

Let me ask you to make a small decision. And pay close attention to the process and what you experience. You need some degree of mindfulness to find out.

OK. Pick one athlete. Any athlete of your choosing.

You could spend your whole life thinking about it.

Will you answer with the first name coming to your mind, someone less famous?

Woods, LeBron?

You can think about this forever, but notice that the moment you make the decision…

is still completely mysterious. It’s not clear at all.

It just arrives, outside of thinking. You don’t have any control whatsoever over it.

And it couldn’t be any different.

Here is one more way to think about this:

How do you know you have thoughts? Because there is awareness. Awareness watching the thoughts you have. This awareness is you. Thoughts and decisions are produced by the mind and observed by awareness. Your awareness arises as them but doesn’t act on them. You can acknowledge them and let them subside or be identified with them.

But you don’t make them happen.

2. If I’m in the present moment, then how do I plan for my future?

You plan for your future now. You wash your hands now. You breathe now. But you don’t live in the future now.

This mistake comes from confusing lived experience with calendar time. In lived experience only the now exists. Every other time is an illusion. Even the present sandwiched between the past and future is not the now. Now only exists as a lived experience.

Calendar time does exist. You can plan for the future, of course. But it happens now.

Living in the present moment would include not planning for the future or learning from the past.

I don’t recommend you do that.

Live in the now. Plan and reflect. Do whatever is asked of you now. There is no wrong way to do this.

I hopethis clarifies one or two aspects of meditation for you.