So many spiritualities emphasize present-moment awareness, which is very good, but often it seems this is viewed as primarily a sensory awareness, with thought considered something of a distraction. That's often true, but thinking can complement and enhance awareness. For example:

To be present to the sounds and things on a walk is quieting and centering for me, and when I consider that all these things are transitory rearrangements of matter exploded from a star billions of years ago -- it only seems to deepen the sense of wonder and openness to the moment.

To listen to the words spoken by another, noticing the non-verbal cues is a good thing, and when I consider that these are expressions of some-one, a person with a story, an-other fellow human -- it enhances the listening, opening me to a deeper level of encounter.

To feel myself alive in this moment, noting the extraordinary fact that I am here by the will of an-Other: this is so amazing! Then to consider the wide range of intricate physiological processes that go on without my conscious coordination, all of which make life in this moment in this body possible: incredibly wonder-full.

Knowledge can enhance our sense of present-moment awareness and deepen our experience of being alive. We are sensory and psychological beings, but we also have a spiritual consciousness that can understand and appreciate the reality in which we find ourselves. Spiritual awakening is not only enhanced awareness, but an active intelligence that keeps us anchored in humility and gratitude. This seems to be the good soil of the soul in which an authentic love can best thrive.