Living in the Now, Eh?
There is a lot of good talk at the moment about living in the now - I think I get it - don't worry about the future. let go of the past etc. But the practical implications of the constant now seem a bit confusing or unrealistic for me. Here I am living in the now, oops no I've missed it, oh darn that now...May be I need to grow my beard a bit longer and spend more time in mountain top cave locations, or maybe, as with most things, our language falls short of what we mean. These are exactly the moments for further thought.
Living in the now could be thought of as a divine spiritual state, but, following the Reggae festival I've been to this weekend I would suggest it could also be achieved with some good music and a large dose of Calimocho (Spain's beloved coca-cola and wine mix). In fact many people seek and find the 'now' in pleasure or oblivion with great success. But I don't think this is the 'now' our spiritual sages are referring to. This kind of now hits you with a big hammer in the morning - saying 'WHAT NOW?'
The divine now, I would suggest, is not the now of a moment in time, but rather the essence of eternity. It is the consciousness that our actions live and move and have their being in the ocean of eternity. The now is not something to be captured, in fact, it is a holy consideration of all material and transient experiences in the context of eternity. It is to know that the true reality of light and love cannot be contained but may well be reflected by objects and actions. It is to enjoy that reality but never to possess it, to know that you are part of it. Your past, your future, your present, play shapes in the sand.