Presence and reality are intimately one. Being truly present, one is (momentarily) experiencing non-duality.

One’s reality expands, contracts, is comfortable or challenging according to being present as Presence or less so. Common reality is small, limiting, and simply a set of familiar coordinates that one ricochets between usually through the mechanisms of desire and distraction. But what Reality is might be quite distinct from common personal reality.

Alertness – by its nature – is also non-dual. There is no other in alertness.

And, the relation of alertness and openness is like light and brightness. Brightness is diffuse, pervading space like the daytime sky. When alertness begins to wane in a meditation sitting, its first transformation is openness. If realized and entered, non-duality once again is. Otherwise, without realizing what is happening, one slips into the stream of duality and openness becomes wandering, wandering becomes distraction, and voila no presence, no alertness.

We meditate again on Saturday at 9 am ET. It’s open to anyone. Click here.