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is only one problem: We don’t see this true nature in the present
moment, and even less so the innate compassion and wisdom that arise
from it. Even when we understand intellectually that we have
buddhanature—the potential to awaken ourselves from the slumber of
ignorance and suffering—we rarely acknowledge this innate purity in the
present moment. We see it as a distant possibility, as something that we
can experience sometime in the future, or maybe even in another
lifetime. Nevertheless,
these enlightened qualities really are present, even right now in this
very moment. Don’t believe me? Well, let’s take a moment to see if this
rings true. Why are you sitting here reading this magazine? Why are you
interested in meditation at all? I’ll bet that at least part of the
reason is that you want to be happy. Who doesn’t? That wish to be happy
is the essence of loving-kindness. Once we recognize this basic desire
in ourselves, seeing how it manifests all the time in so many little
ways, we can begin to extend it to others. Similarly, the flip side of
wanting to be happy is the wish to be free from suffering. Once again,
I’ll bet that in some way, the drive to be free from suffering is
motivating you at this very moment. This simple wish is the essence of
compassion. And finally, it must be said that even though we want to be
happy and free from suffering, we often do things that bring us the
opposite result. Reflect for a moment on what it feels like in those
moments. When you are looking for lasting happiness somewhere it can
never be found. In switching on the TV, for example, can’t you feel it
in your gut that something isn’t quite right? Isn’t there a subtle
nagging feeling that perhaps you are looking in the wrong place for
happiness? Well, that is your buddhanature calling, your innate wisdom. So
you see, we don’t have to look outside the present moment to experience
wisdom, compassion, and the boundless purity of our true nature. In
fact, these things can’t be found anywhere but the
present moment. We just need to pause to recognize what is always right
in front of us. This is a crucial point, because meditation is not
about changing who we are, or becoming better people, or even about
getting rid of destructive habits. Meditation is about learning to
recognize our basic goodness in the immediacy of the present moment, and
then nurturing this recognition until it seeps into the very core of
our being.
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