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Ways to live in the present? (besides meditation)

tim45174tim45174
edited April 2010 in General Banter
Living in the present can be a very fulfilling feeling. I have experiened this when doing things like biking or playing guitar. What are some other ways that you think are good ways to living in the present?

Comments

  • GuyCGuyC Veteran
    edited April 2010
    Hi Tim,

    Other activities you can do with presence of mind include (but are not limited to): sitting, standing, walking, lying down, defacating, urinating, eating, drinking, having a shower, brushing your teeth, taking out the garbage, washing dishes, cleaning the house, making your bed, posting on Buddhist forums, etc.

    In other words: anything!

    With Metta,

    Guy
  • PietroPumokinPietroPumokin
    edited April 2010
    robbing convenience stores! stealing rye bread from grandmas. hot air balloon!!! WALRUS FISHING! shenghai-ing tourists and children. biting people on the subway. visiting insane asylums. becoming a pirate. seducing nuns and monks. hunting panthers with only a knife. DRIVING A MOTORCYCLE!!!! opening a candy store. becoming a crossdresser prostitute. eating DIRT!!!
  • aMattaMatt Veteran
    edited April 2010
    Lets not forget stabbing yourself in the foot. Nothing says now quite like excruciating pain.
  • PietroPumokinPietroPumokin
    edited April 2010
    hahahahahaha
  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    edited April 2010
    GuyC wrote: »
    Hi Tim,

    Other activities you can do with presence of mind include (but are not limited to): sitting, standing, walking, lying down, defacating, urinating, eating, drinking, having a shower, brushing your teeth, taking out the garbage, washing dishes, cleaning the house, making your bed, posting on Buddhist forums, etc.

    In other words: anything!

    With Metta,

    Guy

    :lol: :thumbsup:
  • absolutesmileabsolutesmile
    edited April 2010
    aMatt wrote: »
    Lets not forget stabbing yourself in the foot. Nothing says now quite like excruciating pain.

    True indeed. :rolleyes:
  • MarkMeMarkMe
    edited April 2010
    I came to introduce a game (in another thread). The more a person knows what play to make, the easier it is for me to beat them. Then, I will turn to the game, and it will beat me. I have experienced absorption in them. I have played them for decades. They still have the ability to teach me.

    Any player who knows the next play will be beaten by a better player. The more you know, the easier it is to lose.

    There are at least 30 unavoidable strategic paradoxes to simultaneously fumble with, that I have charted so far. There are enough paradoxes in strategy to rightfully never know what to do. Only a master of the game does not know what to do (or a complete novice)

    http://bwsgames.org
  • MidpackMidpack
    edited April 2010
    It's a personal thing for each of us, but just being alone in nature is helpful to me. Even more so, being near or on the water (ie, lake) helps me stay present and still. The ultimate for me is sailing...
  • MarkMeMarkMe
    edited April 2010
    Midpack, you're so right. It makes me feel guilty on my last post as a promotional ad. I think it is. Being absorbed in the games came for me in times of sitting in front of a computer screen all day.

    Communing with nature includes some of my best moments, along with someone elses eyes, and very good meditation.

    Watch Godspell.

    Hasta la pasta,
    Mark Me
  • CharlesLao7CharlesLao7
    edited April 2010
    1) Do what you love, as long as it's healthy (causes self-forgetting which will then eventually land you in the present).

    2) Be in your body (keep a gentle but persistent focus on the present). Your body is always in the present. So if your mind is in/on your body (or best of all, one with your body) you will automatically be present.

    3) Keep in mind that we are always "in meditation" (to some degree) anyway--

    (Although the quality of that meditation can vary dramatically) and that (non-attached/non-controlling) practice improves the quality of ones always-to-some degree-present, eternally meditative mind.
  • CharlesLao7CharlesLao7
    edited April 2010
    P.S. Remember that all "New buddhists" are really "Old buddhists" who just forgot who they were. (Me too). :)
  • Micsunderland3Micsunderland3
    edited April 2010
    I agree with the guitar playing, it always puts my mind at ease.

    I would imagine that running helps some people to live in the moment. Im quite the opposite though, my mind starts racing about whats been going on lately.

    Working out is different though. For those few second intervals when im actually lifting the weights, My mind is completely blank, its pretty nice.

    Hmm, other than that, I'm a master of meditation when im asleep.
  • GuyCGuyC Veteran
    edited April 2010
    Micsunderland3 wrote: »
    Hmm, other than that, I'm a master of meditation when im asleep.

    LOL me too. My mind can create incredibly deep states of pseudo-samadhi in the dream world.
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