Presence and Action

I'm coming to think that only presence matters. That there is, ultimately, no right or wrong action, no right or wrong decision: only good or bad reasons to act.

But what does it mean, exactly, to "be in the present"?

Physically, of course, we can't be anywhere else. No one has yet set foot in the past or the future. So technically, we're all "in the present." But we can be in the present without being "in the flow" of the present.

Being in the flow of the present means taking in what happens at each moment and letting it change us.

When all goes well, events, sensations, and thoughts arise, run their course, then disappear. This short cycle keeps us constantly open to what comes here and now. We can take in the next ray of sunshine, the next idea, or the next conversation because we haven't stayed stuck on the previous one. Everything keeps renewing itself in interaction with the context.

Yet often, we get stuck.

We "cling" to an idea, a thought, or an anxiety that we keep replaying, consciously or not. This vortex fills all the mental space: the rays of sunshine and the next conversations are shut out. The present keeps unfolding but we no longer take it into account; we no longer let what comes change us. We are "stuck" at the point in the past where the thought we keep feeding was formed.

Buddhists call this an attachment.

I'm "attached" to mental content the way a boat would be tied to the shore. The result is the same: I'm no longer carried by the current.

A few examples of attachment. One: I need to get to a certain place for a certain reason. The trip is just an unimportant transition between me and my goal. Anything that delays me is an obstacle. I'm too attached to the destination to be open to what's happening. Two: I've decided to say a certain thing to a certain person. The conversation is just a hoop to jump through to get the reaction I want. I'm too attached to the outcome of the exchange to be open to the human being in front of me. Three: I've decided that a certain event has to go a certain way. Any deviation from my predictions is a failure. I'm too attached to my vision to be open to what's actually happening – including the good surprises.

In each case, I put the idea ahead of reality; I'm too attached to my mental construction to take in – and so deal with and make the most of – what actually happens.

Now, I'm coming to think that nothing is more important than being in this flow of the present. It's probably more important than the action itself.

By that, I mean it's impossible to judge the quality of an action without real presence. If I'm stuck in a mental space that isn't being updated, all the indicators I look at to make my decisions are out of date. I'm reacting to a picture of the world built in the past rather than the one unfolding in front of me.

Conversely, when I'm in the flow, there's no decision left to make. The gesture, like a reflex, adapts to the situation. There's no longer a right or wrong decision. Only action.

So my role is not to think through what should be done, nor to look for the perfect solution. It doesn't exist. My role is to gently untie, one by one, each attachment I come across. Then let the current do the rest.

UPDATE: If you have doubts, here's a nice confirmation by Francis Sanzaro in this New York Times article.