That’s the one – it’s like “hey! look at that ground! It’s made of pulverised stones, and those stones were made by tiny pieces of sand pressed together over long periods of time or fired in volcanoes and THAT SAND came from OTHER rocks” and “my hands! Look at that amazing infinitesimal pattern of lines and wrinkles connecting the hair follicles! The uneven curve of the cuticle! It’s all whole and one piece and it keeps everything inside!” and “This shirt! I can feel its texture ALL OVER MY BODY!” and et cetera and it’s all happening at once, rushing into my mind, making even walking or talking about as easy as juggling nineteen chainsaws and four pineapples at the same time.
I find the concept utterly depressing, tdn. If we focus only on now, there’s no room for reflection or hope. Our ability to think of both what was and what might be is what sets us apart from the less intelligent species.
You can still reflect or hope whenever you want. You can make that choice. But most people do nothing BUT that. (Or the opposites, regret and fear.) The sad thing is, their heads are never truly in the now. They know how to be human, but they’ve lost the ability to be animals.
Entropy requires no maintenance.
Why thank you. 
Obviously some people still aren’t getting it, but it’s a pretty alien concept to most people. I was pretty resistant to it at first.
I tried explaining it to a coworker, and she knew immediately what I was talking about. She just gets more awesome every time I talk to her. I should probably charge her for that. 
Wonderful. Now you need to go buy this watch.
I am so getting that.
On Mondays I can wear it upside down!
Glad you liked that.
I’m off to the dentist. Let’s see if I can achieve a state of enlightenment while getting a root canal.
Can’t say I’ve ever experienced this nirvana of which you speak. I don’t hold out any particular hope that I ever will, all things considered. But, you never know.
Dude, take another toke, then come see this awesome crystal I have.
tdn, I’ve had this growing sense as I’ve read your posts of the sort of person you are, but I’ve chosen now to let you know how incredibly inspiring and thought-provoking I find your observations and advice. This importance of the present moment is perhaps one of the single most life-altering realities I have personally encountered, and sums up what I love about Zen. It’s important enough that I had word impermanent tattooed on myself in Sanskrit. Impermanence is the same thing as the present moment, which is the same thing as self. I never really understood the way these all interact until I read Moon in a Dewdrop: The Writings of Zen Master Dogen for a Japanese lit course. Zen Master Dogen talks about the concept of Time-Being, which, once you understand it, is a total fucking mind trip.
Nothing is more important than the fact that the only real thing is now, that the self is at once everything AND this moment. Knowing that is sublime joy. Thank you so much for sharing your personal joy – I will always celebrate it right along with you. I can’t help it, you rock too hard. Happy now.
This is why I don’t do drugs, yes. 
I can make my own bliss!
tdn, good on you. It’s a wonderful feeling, when you get it. Cultivate it and let it help your life get all the better.
Life is good. What’s for lunch?
I think maybe someone switched your chocolate bar while you were turning off your brain. Does it have nuts in? Corn?
Seriously though - Yeah, I really think I get what you’re saying, but I don’t think it’s for me. I mean, there are times when I like to just be (sitting in a shaft of sunlight in a forest glade, just letting the sounds, smells, sights, etc wash over me), but for the most part, thinking is something I find immensely pleasurable - wringing the last possible drop of understanding out of things. That’s fun too.
I like doing both.
That’s so sweet. I like you too.
The thing that sucks about this state of mind is how little I want to actually do any work. Oh well, time, to pull myself out of bliss and earn a living.
Pffffffffp
cough - cough
" 'Ear, finish this off if you want."
Seriously though, I have been studying the Tao for 3 months now. Still not past the 22nd verse. I do understand the sensations you are describing.
It is an emptyness and a fullness at the same time.
And yet it is neither;
Because emptyness describes a vessel in the past
Waiting to be filled
And fullness describes a vessel in the future
Overflowing with experiences.
It is the realization that the glass is not half full or half empty
But that the glass is a glass.
The experience of “now” and total immersion into the present,
Remembering the past yet living like it never happened,
Embracing the future yet never worrying about when it will come,
Indeed accepting the future as an uncertainty no matter what plans have been made,
Putting all of this aside and simply being aware of time flowing over you
Like the gentle waters of an endless river
Allows one to draw refreshment, nourishment and healing,
Life itself,
From the endless flowing river.
It is nourishing to stop and drink the water,
But first you have to stop.
I’ll stop now, carry on then.
- The Tao of N8
That’s great!
I’d describe it more as being in a waking dream. Life is like a huge puzzle where all of the pieces fit, and I’m just floating through it.
I did hear rumours of some powerful new hydro on the streets…