365 Nirvana Now

Questions and Answers

(What follows are excerpts of conversations Josh had with friends about this book. These dialogues are found in the “Afterthoughts” section of the book.)

So now what? What can I do to live in the now?

Josh: Notice how right away we want to move, shift gears, set goals. But I suggest that instead of developing any kind of spiritual plan, you pay careful attention to the thoughts themselves. What is your mind doing when you ask the question, “What can I do to live in the now?”

Well, I’m trying to get more awareness of the present moment, find a way live this in my life, and reach a place of peace.

Josh: I’m noticing your language--get, find, reach. And I’m wondering. “Where are you now?”

I’m sitting here in this room, and it doesn’t feel like any kind of enlightened state. It’s totally ordinary.

Josh: In this very ordinary moment, I encourage you to experience fully sitting in this room, just breathing in and out. Can you be here? Without looking forward to some future peace or enlightenment?

I have a sense of what you’re talking about, but it’s easier said than done.

Josh: Present awareness is not about doing some thing. Our lives can easily become consumed with striving, seeking and controlling, a swirling nonstop world of effort and activity. When we seek happiness elsewhere or “elsewhen,” we overlook the fullness of what is at hand. The peace pointed to in this book is not achieved through more exertion or effort. When we imagine that we should be having a more spiritual or special experience, we ignore ordinary immediate reality, which, when truly seen, is extraordinary.

Many passages in the book say that Nirvana is right before our eyes. Well, before my eyes, I see crap. Is this somehow Nirvana? What am I missing?

Josh: When you say you are seeing “crap,” do you see things as they are, or do you see things as you are? Notice how much of the time your thoughts are locked into repeating loops of interpretation, filtering, judgment, and projection. There is an old saying, “When a pickpocket meets the Buddha on the road, all he sees are his pockets.” When your focus of attention is narrow, you only see the Buddha’s pockets. I encourage you to step back and see the whole Buddha.

So are you suggesting that this is the awakened state?

Josh: That is a good question—like a Zen koan. What is this? This moment, this awareness? It doesn’t matter what all those spiritual masters say or what I think. What matters is how would you answer the question? You are the only authority on your life. This is where the exploration is, in this moment and this place. What is your living experience? It’s an open invitation to find out what reality is for you...now, and now, and now.

*****

You meditated for years and many of the insights in your book come from meditation masters. I’m wondering if I should meditate?

Josh: What do you mean by “meditation?” Are you meditating now?

No— we’re talking right now. I’m wondering if you think it would be helpful, for example, to meditate every morning for 30 minutes.

Josh: So, meditation for you is sitting quietly on a cushion, closing your eyes, and so on?

Right. I’m so busy working and taking care of my family that the morning is the only time I can find for my spirituality.

Josh: Notice that you’re making spirituality something separate from your working and family life. Being wakeful in each and every moment of your life is meditation. The simplest definition of meditation is: when seeing, just see; when hearing, just hear. Sitting on a meditation cushion is one particular version of wakefulness. Eating a sandwich, changing your son’s diapers, or negotiating a deal is also meditation.

I can see how any action done mindfully could be meditation, but it’s very difficult for me to maintain that level of awareness.

Josh: Do you hear my words now?

Yes, of course.

Josh: Do you feel yourself sitting in the room?

Sure.

Josh: So, this is all: natural everyday awareness. It is not necessary to try hard or force anything, or seek anything special or different outside this moment. This is meditation.

Yes, but even as I hear you talking, I was daydreaming about going shopping later. My mind is so distracted with thoughts.

Josh: Thoughts are not the problem; they are included in the totality of this moment. We can mindfully notice as they appear, hang around, and depart—in a relaxed, open, and welcoming way.

I am always planning and worrying about what’s going to happen an hour from now, tonight, or next week. Sometimes it drives me crazy.

Josh: Some people live their entire lives in the future—in what I call “the elsewhen”—and never realize it. I did this for many years. This way of being is stressful. When you find your attention caught up in the imaginary future, you might gently notice and bring your attention back to what is at hand.

*****

At this moment, I’m feeling tense and annoyed after an argument I had with my brother this morning.

Josh: So, reality for you in this moment is a feeling of annoyance and tension. I spent years trying to be more spiritual by detaching from my thoughts and feelings; I used spiritual language to tell myself my emotions were illusions. I eventually realized that it was more helpful (and kind) to examine the thoughts that were the source of my discomfort. Whenever I’m angry or tense, I find it helpful to notice and inquire into my assumptions and underlying beliefs surrounding the situation. And I discovered that it was easier to identify clearly these thoughts when I welcomed my feelings more openly. With regard to your annoyance with your brother, you might pay close attention to what you are telling yourself about him: how he treated you, what he should have done differently, and so on.

Isn’t this more like psychology than spirituality?

Josh: When we face directly whatever we are experiencing, labels such as “psychology” or “spirituality” have no meaning. It’s only about awareness of what is. This entire exploration takes place in the present moment. There is no need to analyze our childhood or visualize positive states of mind. If something is upsetting me, I examine my thinking. Moment by moment, as I unravel the false, reality as it is can shine through. Byron Katie calls this “undoing.” I’ve found Katie’s four questions very helpful in this regard.

*****

Some of the teachers in your book tell us to abandon hope. I don’t get that. I thought hope is something positive, even wonderful.

Josh: Hope may seem positive, but it can easily result in ignoring and avoiding life as it is now. And if we become addicted to hope, we’re never at home here. I’m not suggesting that you should stop making plans. Simply consider what it would be like to live in this real present.

I feel I have made some progress through meditation and other spiritual practices. Aren’t some of them useful?

Josh: When we focus on making progress, what is the result? We constantly judge ourselves, measure our state of mind against some criteria, compare ourselves to others, and strive towards an imagined future wiser and holier state. This can be very exhausting. Instead, why not set aside any notion of “making it better” and relax into the clarity of your own natural state.

*****

My friend spent years in an Indian ashram and seemed to get a lot out of it. I keep thinking that I should go there.

Josh: Our minds frequently think about other people, places and times. It can be very useful to take note of this. At this very moment, what does your friend’s life have to do with yours? When you picture him in India, what images arise in your mind?

(laughing) Well, I visualize him meditating in an exotic garden, surrounded by peacocks, and receiving secret teachings from an enlightened guru who glows in the dark.

Josh: That’s a great image. Would you agree that these images are taking place entirely in your mind? You are the writer and director and you’ve cast your friend as the star of this fictional movie you’ve created. And it’s not a documentary. When you watch this movie, what are your thoughts?

I think that if I don’t go to India, I will miss out.

Josh: Notice the underlying feeling of “missing out.” Most people can relate to this theme and it is an old story. Are there other times in your life when you feel you are missing something, yearning to be elsewhere, or doing something different or better?

Yes. I probably have these thoughts many times per day.

Josh: I think of these recurring stories—“I’m missing out,” “I’m not good enough,” and “This shouldn’t be happening”—as the natural Zen koans of daily life. These koans pop up many times a day in a variety of costumes. You don’t need to find a Zen Master to give them to you.

Looking at my stories doesn’t seem very spiritual. Shouldn’t I be having some kind of mystical experience?

Josh: Actually, this is as spiritual as it gets. Reality as it is—in this moment, all right here. We don’t need to seek something else, something more, some other experience, world, or reality. This is the great, open secret. It can be revolutionary to welcome life with open arms in each instant.

*****

Are you suggesting that there’s a “sudden” or “shortcut” approach to enlightenment, as opposed to a slow gradual process?

Josh: Sudden or gradual—these words are based on the illusion of achievement. Wakefulness is beyond these notions. When we rest openly, we are in eternity—mysterious, timeless, beyond all thoughts and concepts. This truth is closer than our eyes. We don’t need to be an advanced meditator to actualize this.

So, it doesn’t take years of practice to be able to realize this?

Josh: Seeking takes time but seeing doesn’t. Yes, you can seek for decades or you can see in this instant. Why wait?

So all I need to do is lead my regular life, content and happy just being myself, without meditating or practicing anything?

Josh: We don’t need some holy or special life other than the one we are living. Our everyday life is perfect and sufficient. This moment now is sufficient. You mentioned simply being yourself. Here are some interesting questions to chew on: Who are you? What is this ‘self’ that you are?

*****

Are you against spiritual practices?

Josh: No. The distinction I’m making is in the way in which spiritual practices are carried out. If a certain method assists you in seeing clearly, this is wonderful! However, certain underlying or unquestioned assumptions you might have while engaging in spiritual practices can make it virtually impossible to be simply present. My own experience is that truth is not found in any particular practice or tradition as if it were some thing. Great teachings and teachers only point to our own essence, independent of any practice you might decide to take up.

*****

I can’t imagine not planning for the future. How does this work in the real world?

Josh: We can’t live in the future. We can only ever live in this moment. On a practical level, of course, we all make plans for days, months, and years ahead. This is reasonable, but what happens is that our minds can get locked into a constant state of future focus. The reality is that we can’t know or control the future. When we are attentive to the present moment, our life becomes rich and full and we are not worried about tomorrow, anymore than do the lilies in the field. What I am addressing here is the way mind operates, so you can see for yourself how to be free and at home in your life.

I want to improve the world for my children and change my life for the better. If I live fully in the present, won’t I become passive?

Josh: Not at all. Let’s imagine that suddenly there was a fire in this building. Instantly, you spontaneously leap up, move quickly, help people get away from the flames, maybe even do something courageous. Your body-mind reacts in thousands of ways that don’t require thinking. In fact, it has an intelligence that is beyond what you can know. If you become consumed with thoughts like “This shouldn’t be happening” or “Why me?” this can significantly impair your response.

When you are present to life as it is showing up now, you are intimately engaged with the people and world around you. There is no gap. This is the opposite of passivity. You are available and actively contributing in ways you may not even realize yet.

*****

So, I’d like to ask again: Is there anything I can do to practice this?

Josh: There’s nothing to practice or achieve and nowhere you need to go. This is all about awareness in this moment. It’s really that simple. No philosophy, religion, or conceptualization required. Direct recognition is the key. Then, each and every moment becomes meditation: unadorned wakefulness. Nirvana here and now.

vvv

Questions and Answers

(What follows are excerpts of conversations Josh had with friends about this book. These dialogues are found in the “Afterthoughts” section of the book.)

So now what? What can I do to live in the now?

Josh: Notice how right away we want to move, shift gears, set goals. But I suggest that instead of developing any kind of spiritual plan, you pay careful attention to the thoughts themselves. What is your mind doing when you ask the question, “What can I do to live in the now?”

Well, I’m trying to get more awareness of the present moment, find a way live this in my life, and reach a place of peace.

Josh: I’m noticing your language--get, find, reach. And I’m wondering. “Where are you now?”

I’m sitting here in this room, and it doesn’t feel like any kind of enlightened state. It’s totally ordinary.

Josh: In this very ordinary moment, I encourage you to experience fully sitting in this room, just breathing in and out. Can you be here? Without looking forward to some future peace or enlightenment?

I have a sense of what you’re talking about, but it’s easier said than done.

Josh: Present awareness is not about doing some thing. Our lives can easily become consumed with striving, seeking and controlling, a swirling nonstop world of effort and activity. When we seek happiness elsewhere or “elsewhen,” we overlook the fullness of what is at hand. The peace pointed to in this book is not achieved through more exertion or effort. When we imagine that we should be having a more spiritual or special experience, we ignore ordinary immediate reality, which, when truly seen, is extraordinary.

Many passages in the book say that Nirvana is right before our eyes. Well, before my eyes, I see crap. Is this somehow Nirvana? What am I missing?

Josh: When you say you are seeing “crap,” do you see things as they are, or do you see things as you are? Notice how much of the time your thoughts are locked into repeating loops of interpretation, filtering, judgment, and projection. There is an old saying, “When a pickpocket meets the Buddha on the road, all he sees are his pockets.” When your focus of attention is narrow, you only see the Buddha’s pockets. I encourage you to step back and see the whole Buddha.

So are you suggesting that this is the awakened state?

Josh: That is a good question—like a Zen koan. What is this? This moment, this awareness? It doesn’t matter what all those spiritual masters say or what I think. What matters is how would you answer the question? You are the only authority on your life. This is where the exploration is, in this moment and this place. What is your living experience? It’s an open invitation to find out what reality is for you...now, and now, and now.

*****

You meditated for years and many of the insights in your book come from meditation masters. I’m wondering if I should meditate?

Josh: What do you mean by “meditation?” Are you meditating now?

No— we’re talking right now. I’m wondering if you think it would be helpful, for example, to meditate every morning for 30 minutes.

Josh: So, meditation for you is sitting quietly on a cushion, closing your eyes, and so on?

Right. I’m so busy working and taking care of my family that the morning is the only time I can find for my spirituality.

Josh: Notice that you’re making spirituality something separate from your working and family life. Being wakeful in each and every moment of your life is meditation. The simplest definition of meditation is: when seeing, just see; when hearing, just hear. Sitting on a meditation cushion is one particular version of wakefulness. Eating a sandwich, changing your son’s diapers, or negotiating a deal is also meditation.

I can see how any action done mindfully could be meditation, but it’s very difficult for me to maintain that level of awareness.

Josh: Do you hear my words now?

Yes, of course.

Josh: Do you feel yourself sitting in the room?

Sure.

Josh: So, this is all: natural everyday awareness. It is not necessary to try hard or force anything, or seek anything special or different outside this moment. This is meditation.

Yes, but even as I hear you talking, I was daydreaming about going shopping later. My mind is so distracted with thoughts.

Josh: Thoughts are not the problem; they are included in the totality of this moment. We can mindfully notice as they appear, hang around, and depart—in a relaxed, open, and welcoming way.

I am always planning and worrying about what’s going to happen an hour from now, tonight, or next week. Sometimes it drives me crazy.

Josh: Some people live their entire lives in the future—in what I call “the elsewhen”—and never realize it. I did this for many years. This way of being is stressful. When you find your attention caught up in the imaginary future, you might gently notice and bring your attention back to what is at hand.

*****

At this moment, I’m feeling tense and annoyed after an argument I had with my brother this morning.

Josh: So, reality for you in this moment is a feeling of annoyance and tension. I spent years trying to be more spiritual by detaching from my thoughts and feelings; I used spiritual language to tell myself my emotions were illusions. I eventually realized that it was more helpful (and kind) to examine the thoughts that were the source of my discomfort. Whenever I’m angry or tense, I find it helpful to notice and inquire into my assumptions and underlying beliefs surrounding the situation. And I discovered that it was easier to identify clearly these thoughts when I welcomed my feelings more openly. With regard to your annoyance with your brother, you might pay close attention to what you are telling yourself about him: how he treated you, what he should have done differently, and so on.

Isn’t this more like psychology than spirituality?

Josh: When we face directly whatever we are experiencing, labels such as “psychology” or “spirituality” have no meaning. It’s only about awareness of what is. This entire exploration takes place in the present moment. There is no need to analyze our childhood or visualize positive states of mind. If something is upsetting me, I examine my thinking. Moment by moment, as I unravel the false, reality as it is can shine through. Byron Katie calls this “undoing.” I’ve found Katie’s four questions very helpful in this regard.

*****

Some of the teachers in your book tell us to abandon hope. I don’t get that. I thought hope is something positive, even wonderful.

Josh: Hope may seem positive, but it can easily result in ignoring and avoiding life as it is now. And if we become addicted to hope, we’re never at home here. I’m not suggesting that you should stop making plans. Simply consider what it would be like to live in this real present.

I feel I have made some progress through meditation and other spiritual practices. Aren’t some of them useful?

Josh: When we focus on making progress, what is the result? We constantly judge ourselves, measure our state of mind against some criteria, compare ourselves to others, and strive towards an imagined future wiser and holier state. This can be very exhausting. Instead, why not set aside any notion of “making it better” and relax into the clarity of your own natural state.

*****

My friend spent years in an Indian ashram and seemed to get a lot out of it. I keep thinking that I should go there.

Josh: Our minds frequently think about other people, places and times. It can be very useful to take note of this. At this very moment, what does your friend’s life have to do with yours? When you picture him in India, what images arise in your mind?

(laughing) Well, I visualize him meditating in an exotic garden, surrounded by peacocks, and receiving secret teachings from an enlightened guru who glows in the dark.

Josh: That’s a great image. Would you agree that these images are taking place entirely in your mind? You are the writer and director and you’ve cast your friend as the star of this fictional movie you’ve created. And it’s not a documentary. When you watch this movie, what are your thoughts?

I think that if I don’t go to India, I will miss out.

Josh: Notice the underlying feeling of “missing out.” Most people can relate to this theme and it is an old story. Are there other times in your life when you feel you are missing something, yearning to be elsewhere, or doing something different or better?

Yes. I probably have these thoughts many times per day.

Josh: I think of these recurring stories—“I’m missing out,” “I’m not good enough,” and “This shouldn’t be happening”—as the natural Zen koans of daily life. These koans pop up many times a day in a variety of costumes. You don’t need to find a Zen Master to give them to you.

Looking at my stories doesn’t seem very spiritual. Shouldn’t I be having some kind of mystical experience?

Josh: Actually, this is as spiritual as it gets. Reality as it is—in this moment, all right here. We don’t need to seek something else, something more, some other experience, world, or reality. This is the great, open secret. It can be revolutionary to welcome life with open arms in each instant.

*****

Are you suggesting that there’s a “sudden” or “shortcut” approach to enlightenment, as opposed to a slow gradual process?

Josh: Sudden or gradual—these words are based on the illusion of achievement. Wakefulness is beyond these notions. When we rest openly, we are in eternity—mysterious, timeless, beyond all thoughts and concepts. This truth is closer than our eyes. We don’t need to be an advanced meditator to actualize this.

So, it doesn’t take years of practice to be able to realize this?

Josh: Seeking takes time but seeing doesn’t. Yes, you can seek for decades or you can see in this instant. Why wait?

So all I need to do is lead my regular life, content and happy just being myself, without meditating or practicing anything?

Josh: We don’t need some holy or special life other than the one we are living. Our everyday life is perfect and sufficient. This moment now is sufficient. You mentioned simply being yourself. Here are some interesting questions to chew on: Who are you? What is this ‘self’ that you are?

*****

Are you against spiritual practices?

Josh: No. The distinction I’m making is in the way in which spiritual practices are carried out. If a certain method assists you in seeing clearly, this is wonderful! However, certain underlying or unquestioned assumptions you might have while engaging in spiritual practices can make it virtually impossible to be simply present. My own experience is that truth is not found in any particular practice or tradition as if it were some thing. Great teachings and teachers only point to our own essence, independent of any practice you might decide to take up.

*****

I can’t imagine not planning for the future. How does this work in the real world?

Josh: We can’t live in the future. We can only ever live in this moment. On a practical level, of course, we all make plans for days, months, and years ahead. This is reasonable, but what happens is that our minds can get locked into a constant state of future focus. The reality is that we can’t know or control the future. When we are attentive to the present moment, our life becomes rich and full and we are not worried about tomorrow, anymore than do the lilies in the field. What I am addressing here is the way mind operates, so you can see for yourself how to be free and at home in your life.

I want to improve the world for my children and change my life for the better. If I live fully in the present, won’t I become passive?

Josh: Not at all. Let’s imagine that suddenly there was a fire in this building. Instantly, you spontaneously leap up, move quickly, help people get away from the flames, maybe even do something courageous. Your body-mind reacts in thousands of ways that don’t require thinking. In fact, it has an intelligence that is beyond what you can know. If you become consumed with thoughts like “This shouldn’t be happening” or “Why me?” this can significantly impair your response.

When you are present to life as it is showing up now, you are intimately engaged with the people and world around you. There is no gap. This is the opposite of passivity. You are available and actively contributing in ways you may not even realize yet.

*****

So, I’d like to ask again: Is there anything I can do to practice this?

Josh: There’s nothing to practice or achieve and nowhere you need to go. This is all about awareness in this moment. It’s really that simple. No philosophy, religion, or conceptualization required. Direct recognition is the key. Then, each and every moment becomes meditation: unadorned wakefulness. Nirvana here and now.

vvv