The Eternal Now

by Brian Thompson.

I recently received an email from a reader who asked for some insight into the perplexing concept of the Eternal Now, which is so often discussed in spiritual teachings.

The question mentioned that the past, present and future are a “real big thing for physical beings”, and that it’s so hard to look beyond it, let alone consider the possibility of ‘eternity in a moment’, as the term implies.

But, we are not physical beings—we are consciousness—and herein lies the problem; our confusion is a result of our own misperception.

Awareness is our true Self—regardless of the human body, mind, and persona that we perceive.

Time is a concept of human mind, that can exist only within mind. Outside of mind and its multiplicity of concepts and theories, there is only the ever-present, continuous, and uninterrupted Now. Therefore, anything outside of the here and now is non-existent. The past is merely an appearance that exists within the human function of memory. It has no present reality.

All that IS exists within consciousness, including all concepts of space and time—including all remembrances of so-called history. Space and time exist within you, Conscious Awareness. You do not exist within them. YOU are the Eternal Now.

The history we attach our identity onto and conceptually cling to is as unreal as a wave that once splashed on the surface of the ocean ten thousand years ago. It cannot be said to have ever really ‘existed’, at least not without the presence of a conscious observer—which, even then, would have only been a momentary and impermanent appearance within consciousness.

All appearances are false however—it is only that which enables such perceptions to be perceived that is real—this is the Eternal Self, the Universal Consciousness.

Awareness is infinite, eternal, and unchanging—all that IS appears within its emptiness. This is Absolute Reality.

The natural state of all that IS, is actually one of ‘non-being’, rather than ‘being’. Therefore, the truth of any form is in fact, formless. ‘Non-being’ is the Absolute Reality, while all ‘beings’ are only temporary and brief appearances. All manner of perceived ‘things’ are, in truth, ‘no-things’. It is because of this natural impermanence of things that no appearance can be said to every actually be real. It is only the eternal awareness that is real, which all appearances appear within.

[More…]

Philosophers stone – selected views from the boat http://philosophers-stone.co.uk