Thanks for starting this topic, Eddie. I'll order a copy of the CD soon and give it a try.
Haniel,
You said "I can certainly see the influence of Krishnamurti on his focusing on the now".
Focusing on "the now" is the core or essence of most of the spiritual teachings and traditions that attract me. Two books I'm reading these days are "New Self New World" by Philip Shepherd [http://philipshepherd.com/book ] and "The Mandala of Being" by Richard Moss [
http://richardmoss.com/ ] . Both of these books emphasize "the now," and I like them both a lot.
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I've seen a bumper sticker that says "Meditation isn't what you think". That's good for a giggle. And so it is with "the now". Not that we can't both be in "the now" and have thoughts! But the character, quality and feel of thoughts are different in "the now" than when we're caught up in past and future -- or, at least, seem to be. Our quality of "presence" differs when we're right here, just so.
Only a few times in my life have I been deeply, intensely, fully present. Which is to say, whole. The difference in quality of experience between being fully, intensely present and caught up in the turbulence of self-division (which covers over and hides 'presence') is quite extraordinary. But it seems to come down to one thing, mainly. When we're fully, deeply, intensely present we are not experiencing ourselves as something separate or apart from the Cosmic Whole. So the whole sense of "time" -- and everything, really, is different when we're fully present. Radically different.
Philip Shepherd calls the basic confusion/delusion of the non-present state "perseity," which term, as he uses it, means "having independent existence". As I understand it, when we suffer from "perseity" we
cannot be present, because it is but an illusion that seeks to be present (but cannot). As "interbeing" (Thich Nhat Hahn's term for our real or ultimate condition) we can be truely present. But not as beings apart.
In reality, then, we are ALWAYS fully present. The trick is to realize this. To awaken to it.
And all the teachers of presence say that the way to presence is ... presence. We have to practice!
Out Of Our heads
Philip Shepherd On The Brain In Our Belly
by Amnon Buchbinder
http://philipshepherd.com/the-sun/"You cannot reason your way into being present. You cannot reason your way into love. You cannot reason your way into fulfillment. If you wish to be present, you need to submit to the present, and suddenly you find yourself at one with it. You submit to love. There’s that great quote from the Persian mystic Rumi: “Your task is not to seek love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”Phillip Shepherd
from the above link
.