Right Away is the Opposite of Now, by Jacob Needleman

De inmediato es lo contrario de Ahora.
--Por Jacob Needleman (12 Sep, 2016)

Hace algunos años, estaba caminando por el centro de San Francisco con un gran amigo y un instruido erudito tibetano. Le pregunté sobre una de las maneras más sorprendentes que los tibetanos utilizan para expresar la singularidad de la condición humana. Imagina, dicen, que en el fondo en el vasto océano hay nada una gran y antigua tortuga que sube a la superficie a tomar aire una vez cada cien años. Imagina además que flotando en algún lugar en el océano hay un yugo de buey que es traído y llevado por las olas y las corrientes aleatorias. ¿Cuáles son las posibilidades de que cuando salga a la superficie la tortuga, su cabeza surja pasando precisamente a través del centro del yugo de buey? ¡Así de raro es nacer como un ser humano!
En medio de nuestra conversación, yo señalé a la multitud de hombres y mujeres corriendo por la calle e hice un gesto de forma que indicaba no sólo ellos, sino a todos los miles y millones de personas que van a toda prisa en el mundo. "Dime, Lobsang," dije, "si es tan raro nacer como ser humano, ¿Cómo es que hay tanta gente en el mundo?"
Mi amigo aminoró el paso y se detuvo. Esperó un momento, pensando en mi pregunta. Recuerdo que de pronto fui capaz de oír, como si fuera la primera vez, el ruidoso y frenético tráfico a nuestro alrededor. Él me miró y respondió en voz muy baja: "¿Cuántos seres humanos ves?"
En un instante, comprendí el significado de la historia y la idea. La mayoría de la gente que estaba viendo, en el estado interior en que se encontraban en ese momento, no eran realmente gente en absoluto. La mayoría eran lo que los tibetanos llaman "fantasmas hambrientos". Que en realidad no existen. No estaban realmente *allí *. Estaban *ocupados *, iban *con prisa*. Ellos - como todos nosotros - estaban obsesionados con hacer las cosas *de inmediato *. Pero *de inmediato * es lo contrario de * ahora * - lo opuesto del momento presente vivido en el cual el paso del tiempo ya no nos tiraniza. Los fantasmas hambrientos están necesitados de “más” tiempo; pero cuanto más tiempo consiguen los fantasmas hambrientos, más tiempo "ahorramos", cuanto más hambre tenemos, menos *vivimos* en realidad. Y comprendí que no es exactamente de más tiempo, más días y años, de lo que estamos hambrientos, es del momento presente.
A lo largo de nuestra creciente absorción en el ajetreo, tenemos el momento presente. "De inmediato" no es ahora. ¡Qué ilusión tóxica!
Sacado del libro “Tiempo y el Alma” de Jacob Needleman

Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Cómo te relacionas con la noción de que *inmediatamente es lo contrario de *ahora*? ¿Puedes compartir una historia personal de alguna vez en la que te dieses cuenta de que debías de alejarte del *ahora mismo* y caminar en el *ahora*? ¿Qué te ayuda a protegerte para no convertirte en un “fantasma hambriento?”

excerpted from Jacob Needleman's book "Time and the Soul"

Seed Questions for Reflection

How do you relate to the notion that *right away* is the opposite of *now*? Can you share a personal story of a time you became aware of the need to step away from *right away* and step into *now*? What helps you protect yourself from turning into a "hungry ghost?"

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Add Your Reflection

13 Past Reflections

Kristof

Sep 15, 2016

When I wake up in the morning right away I start getting ready for the day it takes me some time to truly wake up
then I sit down and I observe the process of waking and falling asleep .When I sit down long enough I can see that process of turning into hungry ghost more clear ..

luv4all

Sep 15, 2016

Much grateful for the reading....
To me - while 'right away' is about getting lost in completing some task ; 'now' is about living this very moment with awareness.
i have personally chosen to spend few minutes with senior citizens - as moments of listening and feeling warmth of human connection. These are time spent in 'now' for me.
Silence sittings and the feeling of calm & content within help me to choose 'now' rather than 'right away'.

Thank you for the opportunity to share.

Joan sewall

Sep 13, 2016

Life is a series of continuous moments of now

Suroj Sep 21, 2016

Right away is a changing from moment to moment.
The Changing is the NOW.

The NOW is not Present, Past, nor Future.
The NOW is timeless.

Daniela Birschel

Sep 13, 2016

Right away...is a demand, a condition we want to happen at this very instance, a confirmation of our efficiency to get things done in a hurry. Now...is flowing with what is instead of making IT happen out there, I have to happen to be present, I have to put myself into the condition to be with what is.

Padma

Sep 13, 2016

Now, a settling in. A spreading out into the spacious allowing of what is here. Nothing separate.
Hurry!, "right now,"...a mind-filled contraction pushing against an illusory sense of separation.

Michael Uchebuaku

Sep 13, 2016

"Now" gives me peace of mind and helps me find myself. But "right away" makes me lose myself and the purpose of my existence.

Sunil,Bangalore

Sep 13, 2016

You hear more with less noise.Pineapple stands tall,wears a crown & is sweet inside.Now is unspoken inner balance with silent harmony.Right-away is disturbed unequilibrium. Arrival at peace within & without may be the parameter for NOW.Search for a living Guru opening the tenth door/third eye is the personal story to become a humane Now avoiding the human Right away. Finding "Who am I" brings satisfaction ending the hunger of this precious human birth. Cheers with Love

Myrtle Russell Sep 13, 2016

"right away" is anxiety; "Now" is peace.

arun mathai marette

Sep 13, 2016

Fantastic and Energized Reverence to Loving Avatars of Creator...

Now is the state where seeker becomes the sought..

i.e..seeker realizes and cherishes the intrinsic ability to reflect the actions and thoughts of Self in the form of Love, Humbleness, Selfulness, Peace, Devotion, Courage, Fearlessness, Forgiveness, Acceptance, Justice Abiding, Gratefulness, Clarity, Transparency, Honesty, Listening, Learning, Compassion, Companionship,Empathy, Hope....................

In short- Now is Heaven and right away is hell...

Enjoy.

Love All......

Jagdish P Dave

Sep 12, 2016

Most of the time we live not right now and not right here, in the flow of the present moment. We follow our habitual and conditioned patterns of living there and then, caught up in the past which is dead and in the future which is yet to be born. When I embrace the present moment fully, I feel more alive, vibrant, with me and with others in deeper way, more intimate way. It is a reflection of what is happening in me. I am more intimate with me, I am more together with me and that facilitates closeness and togetherness with what I am doing and with the people with me and around me. The ghosts of the past and the future evaporate and the loving feeling good and breathing self shows up on its own.

Before I started reflecting on this wonderful writing, I had a counseling session with a client who has been going through depression. I led her through this mindfulness process by asking her to be present with what is always present , our breath. She spent a good amount of time doing belly breathing, deep and slow. feeling centered and grounded. When I sensed she was ready, I suggested her to let what ever was arising in her mind-thoughts- and heart -feelings and emotions and letting them go by each inhalation and exhalation. Ghosts from the past and the future visited her and she let them come and go without reacting, resisting or denying. I stayed with her compassionately and helped her process whatever was showing up in her mind and heart and to become mindful of the variety of bodily sensations she was experiencing.It is by feeling we heal, not by suppressing or denying our thoughts and feelings. We need a compassionate and skillful guide to help us heal and get well.

It is an inner work and it needs to be done regularly to work on ourselves. It helps us unburden ourselves from the regretful grip of the past and the worrisome net of the future. By working on the shadow, we see the glimpses of light.

May we daily carve some time from our frenzy and overly busy life style to take care of ourselves and relate to others in a compassionate and constructive way.May we give such a priceless gift to ourselves and to others and realize that by giving we receive.

Namaste.

Jagdish P Dave

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Kristin Pedemonti

Sep 12, 2016

For me, Right away has a sense of urgency whereas now has a feeling of peacefulness. When I was in Belize traveling village to village learning and sharing stories as part of my literacy project I felt I was recalibrated by the local culture to look at the idea of 'right away' as "now." Belizeans for the most part move at a much slower pace and when they would say "right away I will come" that could mean 5 minutes, an hour or several hours later because they tended to be in the moment of now with whomever and whatever was happening within their immediate physical space. It was liberating. And yes, admittedly, a bit frustrating for me at first, especially coming from the Northeast of the US which often runs at breakneck speed. To protect from becoming a 'hungry ghost' I do my best to remind myself to be present now with whoever I am in physical presence and with the task at hand. Progress not perfection. :)

david doane

Sep 9, 2016

'Right away' is rushing to get tasks done, frenetically being goal-directed and in the future, frenetically doing. Being now is truly being in the present, goal-lessly and purposelessly, aware of and alive in the dynamic present. They are two different states of being. I am often aware of a need to be present and have times of being very fully present, but such times are seldom pure and are brief. I have protected myself only partially from turning into a hungry ghost. Awareness of now certainly helps. I'm not fully hungry ghost and not fully now. Hungry ghost and now are two ends of a continuum. Sometimes I'm at one extreme or the other, and usually I'm a mix of the two, somewhere left or right of center. Often, like right now, I'm preoccupied with 'right away' with some awareness of now while being to some degree hungry ghost, and sometimes I take a break from right away and settle into being present and being very fully human.&... View full comment