I am struggling to understand this....

Is "here now in love" similar to the idea of "peak experiences" and "the sacrament of the present moment"?

Does it relate in anyway to developing an awareness to the presence of Jesus within by intution or perception?

Blessings,

Caneman

It means "to be here now in love."

Present-moment awareness, loving intent.

Phil:

Just wondering if you have memories when you are in "present-moment awareness, loving intent" in love". I experience times when at the moment
i am aware but afterwards there is no memory.

Thanks
Ajoy

Phil, please explain, I'm still not sure what you mean... I want to know what I am missing out on!

Caneman

Ajoy, I do have memories of what goes on through my day. Sometimes in prayer there are periods when there is no self-awareness, and so no memory of what has just transpired. That's a mystical ecstacy of some kind, but I've never had that pertain to my waking life. If one were to ask me at any time of the day what I'd been up to, I could tell them -- even if what I'd been up to was thinking over something.

- - -

Caneman, I'm not sure what to say, as loving intent and present moment awareness are fairly specific and descriptive, imo. Maybe it would make more sense in terms of affirmations like the following:

"I am here . . . now . . . willing to love."
"Love now . . ."
"Gentle . . . loving . . . presence . . . now."

Present-moment awareness means to be attentive to what's going on within and about you. Loving intent means to be willing to love what/whoever is involved in your present circumstance. It's a basic attitude, I guess you could say.

I have written a book on this topic. See http://shalomplace.com/books/herenow.html

LOL, I have that book, I need to read it again!

Is this present-moment awareness anything like Teresa of Avila's "being recollected within" or Jeanne Guyon's "turning inward" ?

Blessings,

Caneman

quote:

Originally posted by Phil:
...Sometimes in prayer there are periods when there is no self-awareness...

- - -

...Loving intent means to be willing to love what/whoever is involved in your present circumstance. It's a basic attitude, I guess you could say.

May I be permitted a side note? The Norwegian word for Compassion is Barmhjertighet -- literally "To embrace with the heart". I think the word says a lot more, and that it is indeed akin to the attitude you�re pointing toward.

In prayer/meditation, there are moments when I experience this "basic attitude" (a very apt term!) like a fountain that runs over and fills me, overwhelms me -- even though there may be no "object".

---

Phil, in regards to the first point quoted, to you mean that there is no Awareness? Or rather no awareness of self as a separate entity (as in "self-awareness" with a small "s")?

Best regards,
HeartPrayer

One of my favourite philosophers, Martin Buber, casts light on our speaking the inner relational word I-Thou. Centred in this basic word (basic attitude), the world appears very different than if we speak the relational word I-It.

In fact, the "I" that speaks the word is radically different, being defined by the inner-spoken relational word.

Buber�s point certainly coincides with my experience.


PS. For those who haven�t read it, I warmly recommend Martin Buber�s book "I-Thou".

Seconding the recommendation for the Buber book.

- - -

HP, I thing there are a number of ways one can speak of selfless awareness. The most common is that one has no awareness of self, as one is literally taken into some kind of larger contemplative perspective. This might be an aesthetic experience such as a beautiful sunset, a work of art, or, of course, God's loving presence. During those times we are un-self-conscious, meaning that our attention isn't self-referencing. It is only when the mind reflects back on the experience that we become aware of how we were with it or in it somehow; there's almost always an impression left in the memory, except during certain mystic ecstacies, where one just draws a blank.

In all of this, I do not mean to be saying that there is no ontological self, or "I" that is the subjective consciousness of the soul. This would be unthinkable, as to speak otherwise is to deny the most obvious fact of our existence.

This is from Father Thomas Ryan who teaches on "Christian yoga":

There are basically two streams of meditation practice: narrowing the field of awareness down to an object of mental focus (concentrative practice), and opening wide the field of awareness to whatever is happening in the body/mind (awareness practice). In concentrative practice in the Christian tradition, the object of focus is most often a sacred word or phrase to anchor the mind. As thoughts arise, the practitioner lets them go and returns to the word or phrase. Christian teachers such as John Main and Thomas Keating have adapted this ancient practice for modern life and have brought Christian meditation into the mainstream. (See "Three Schools of Meditative Practice") Awareness practice comes from Buddhism and opens out to become fully aware of thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise. Here, the mind is anchored on the breath, returning to the constant flow of inhale and exhale as awareness expands. There are Christians such as Mary Jo Meadow (of Resources in Ecumenical Spirituality) who work also with this method in the light of the teachings of John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila.