Entering the Real Here and Now

There is a popular self-realization philosophy expressed by the phrase, "Be here now." According to this philosophy self realization can be achieved by entering fully into the here and now. One is advised that instead of fixing his consciousness in a different time or a different place, he should just focus fully on what is happening to him right here, right now. It is said that in this way one will become spiritually awakened. The major deficiency in this technique is that unless one understands what or who is the actual self, the "I" who is experiencing the here and now, he will not be getting a genuine here and now experience. He will instead only be tasting a shadow of it. As long as one identifies with the body, the mind, the intelligence, or any sense of the self which is not the actual self, it will not possible to taste anything more than an illusory version of the here and now. So the first step for genuinely entering into the here and now is to connect one's consciousness with the actual self.

The here and now devotees will agree not to identify the self with the body, mind, or the intelligence. In their system of philosophy the actual self is egoless impersonal oneness in which there are no varieties or individuals because everything is one. But this conception of the self leads us into many philosophical absurdities. For example, if everything is one, I would already be fully awakened into the here and now because there could then be no distinction between being here and now and not being here and now. Another example is that if everything is one, I no longer exist as an individual person who has to worry about entering into the here and now. And there are many other examples.

So embracing the absurd philosophy of impersonal oneness cannot factually bring one into the here and now. Rather it separates one from the real here and now. The real here and now is to seek out and harmonize oneself with the source of universal existence. This source must necessarily possess personality in order to manifest the so many persons that we experience in this world. And how does one connect with a person? There is only one way to do it, and that is through love. Therefore the real technique for entering fully into the here and now is by developing a loving personal relationship with that Supreme Person, who is the source of all existence. Once you fully connect with Him, your here and now will be fully connected with everything in all times, places, and circumstances. Indeed your here and now will transcend all the limitations of time and space.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Entering into the Real Here and Now
Beyond Time and Space
Ecstatic Kirtan in Kaunas, Lithuania--April 2010Sankarshan Das Ecstatic Kirtan in Kaunas

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: The Soul or the Body Suffers?

I am in confusion that we suffer so many miseries and pains in our life time. But who is suffering these pains? Is it the body or the soul? Please clear my confusion. Thank you for your daily emails and helping me to elevate my devotional life.

Narasingh

Answer: The Soul Who Misidentifies with His Body

The body is naturally subject to so many varieties of pains and miseries such as birth, death, old age, and disease. But the actual self, the spirit-soul, being completely beyond birth, death, old age, and disease does not experience any of these miseries. It is only when the eternal spiritual being foolishly misidentifies himself with the material body that he then experiences the miseries of material existence. So now if we can completely cast off all traces of bodily identification by the full revival of our Krishna consciousness, we will live in a state of unlimited bliss in spite of the various miseries which the body is destined to experience.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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